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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28099569">On the Mountain</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmternalSummers/pseuds/EmternalSummers'>EmternalSummers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NINE PERCENT (Band), 乐华七子NEXT | NEX7, 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gang AU, I tried to make it wintery, Light Swearing, M/M, Occasional fluff, Past Character Death, hotel au, past!Kunting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:15:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28099569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmternalSummers/pseuds/EmternalSummers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zhengting works at a hotel on the top of a snowy mountain. He's made life for himself up there for a year, doing his job and mostly keeping to himself. One day during the off season, a lone guest comes in and begins to stir up emotions Zhengting had sealed away deep inside of him, but those emotions aren't the only thing that Zhengting is reminded of.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bi Wenjun/Zhu Zhengting | Jung Jung, Cai Xukun/Zhu Zhengting | Jung Jung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>On the Mountain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You know, I really don't know how this turned into a gang AU to be completely honest. It just kind of happened and I went with it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zhengting stared out the window as he fluffed his furs around himself. It was another snowy day, which meant that the presence of travelers would be slim to none. It also meant he wouldn’t be getting any money today. With a small huff that fogged the window in front of him, he slowly began his descent down the stairs into the main area of the lodge. It was of decent size and quality, the large fireplace that was on one side crackling loudly. The owner, a sharp looking man who had a certain fondness for the less fortunate, looked up.</p>
<p>“Zhengting. Getting lonely?” The owner smirked and Zhengting pouted before plopping himself down on the couch and adjusting the furs that kept him warm.</p>
<p>“It’s not my fault that it’s the slow season.” The howling wind outside made the lights inside the lodge flicker for a moment. “Most of the skiers and winter sports people find it too extreme up here during this time of year. Unless you’re a local, there’s no one foolish enough to climb all the way to this no-name town.” Zhengting tucked his legs up under his chin and stared intensely at the door, almost willing someone to walk through it.</p>
<p>“You choose to be here,” the owner countered before moving to go check on the fireplace that was softly crackling in the background.</p>
<p>“You chose to be here,” Zhengting mimicked with an eye roll before fixing his gaze once more at the offensive door. Beyond the windows of the hotel, snow had continually drifted down from the sky onto the white ground. For a second, he thought he saw movement, but nothing outside seemed to change. The owner noticed the change and glanced at Zhengting as he threw another piece of wood in the fire.</p>
<p>“Something good out there?”</p>
<p>Zhengting pouted and rested his head on his knees once more, letting out a dramatic sigh. “No, I don’t think so.”</p>
<p>As luck would have it though, there was motion on the door before it was pushed open. The small silver bell that was attached to it rang out and Zhengting went from interested to bored in a second. Walking in the door with layers of warmth on, a bag of groceries, and goggles that protected his eyes was unmistakably the partner of the owner. He stomped the remaining snow off his boots before pushing the hood down and looking between the two. “I haven’t missed much?”</p>
<p>“Other than Zhengting’s overemotional fits, not really.” The owner walked over to give his lover a peck on the lips before helping him get rid of some layers. “Welcome home Yifan.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Yixing,” Yifan said as he was finally just down to his sweater and pants, the outer layers on a nearby coat rack to dry off. “It really is brutal out there, but I think I’d rather be on the lake than dealing with this one.”</p>
<p>“Why are you both so mean?” Zhengting whined as they made their way past him and into the dining area hand in hand. A hand rubbed his hair as the pair walked by and he absently swatted at it with a small grumble.</p>
<p>“Watch the front desk while we prepare dinner, okay?” Yixing asked as he took the bag from Yifan and disappeared into the back. Zhengting grunted and took his furs with him as he waddled to the seat behind the desk. It was dark outside now and he doubted that anyone was going to walk through the doors for the next few days at most. The last guests they had left two days prior.</p>
<p>The sounds and smells of the owner and his partner making dinner floated through the small hotel and Zhengting now regretted the fact he had to sit by himself in the front. His stomach rumbled in anticipation of food and Zhengting almost slipped into a daydream until a jingle ringed throughout the room. Perking up, Zhengting felt the furs slip off his shoulder and onto the chair as he ran through the motions of taking in a new customer.</p>
<p>“Welcome!” The newcomer looked up and smiled awkwardly as the large backpack that was on his back slid off and down onto the floor by the door. He dusted some snow off himself and lifted his bag up again before walking over to the front desk.</p>
<p>“Is this the only hotel here?” His question didn’t seem to mean to come across as offensive, but Zhengting had to hold back a rude quip at the general question.</p>
<p>“Yes! We’re a bit small, but I assure you we’re fully equipped to give you some of the best comfort out here.” Zhengting added on an extra bright smile and didn’t quite expect the relieved sigh from the customer.</p>
<p>“Oh thank god. I was hoping this was the right place. I’m far too tired to go check anywhere else,” he chuckled slightly as he began to dig through his bag. After a bit of rummaging, he took out a wallet. “What are the rates?”</p>
<p>Zhengting watched him in silence for a moment before realizing he was asked a question about actually renting a room. With a small gasp, he hurried towards the ancient computer that they did all their booking on, trying to not make the atmosphere too awkward. To try to distill some of the stuffy air that formed between them, he shuffled his furs back over his shoulders. “What kind of room are you looking for? I’m guessing you’re looking for a single bed, so we have a choice between either a full or queen…”</p>
<p>The customer had leaned over the desk to inspect the computer, letting out a low whistle. “Woah, that’s a dinosaur. What year was that made?”</p>
<p>“No clue. We don’t get much of this kind of stuff out this way, so we make due with what we have.” It was hard to not examine the stranger. Most people who came up here were usually tour groups there to experience the mountains, couples on a romantic snowy getaway in a cabin not too far from town. It was weird to see a single, young and attractive man up here on his own.</p>
<p>The stranger nodded and pulled back away. “I’ll take a queen then. I’d like the extra space, to be honest.” He fished out two cards from his wallet, one was a license and the other a charge card. Zhengting nodded and took them out of his hand and began to slowly type them into the computer. It took a little bit for every few inputs to register, something that Zhengting was used to. The newcomer, Bi Wenjun if his license was to be believed, looked amazed.</p>
<p>“Wow… It’s so… Slow…” He said watching the fuzzy screen slowly register everything. Zhengting snorted as he began to manually put in the card info as well. “And you do everything by hand too?”</p>
<p>Zhengting bit his lip. This little village in the mountains was lucky enough to have connection to the internet, but it’s impossible to stay up to date with all the latest trends. Most of the time, they had to wait for Yifan to come back from his monthly visit to the city at the base of the mountain to get any kind of big news from outside. Isolation at it’s finest.</p>
<p>“Yeah. We never have too many customers at once, so it usually isn’t much of an issue.” Zhengting finally finished inputting everything and handed the cards back to Wenjun. “The base room fee of $65 was charged for tonight and will be charged every day you stay past noon. Breakfast is served between 6 and 8 in the morning if you’d like any.”</p>
<p>Zhengting glanced up at Wenjun once last time before biting hip lip. He usually wasn’t nervous when it came to asking customers if they wanted to sleep with him for a small additional fee, but it almost felt wrong to do so, someone like him most likely has a girlfriend or something back home, but it was his job. He had to.</p>
<p>“We also offer… additional services.” Zhengting said, leaning forward slightly. He felt the furs drop off his shoulders and drape over the chair. He ran one hand over Wenjun’s before looking up and batting his eyes. “If you’d like a partner for bed, we offer that as well…”</p>
<p>Wenjun didn’t respond at all. It was as if he was made out of ice from the lake, completely unmoving. When he realized that it wasn’t welcome, Zhengting withdrew his hand and looked away. An awkward blush had taken over his cheeks and he coughed to try and cover it up.</p>
<p>“That is only if you want it. Otherwise, enjoy your stay.” Pulling his furs back up once more, he turned around to grab a room key for Wenjun when he heard the other’s voice.</p>
<p>“Actually, that would be nice. Can I take that?” Zhengting turned around with wide eyes. Wenjun had laughed, a short and soft noise, but it was endearing. Another thing to add to the list that made the stranger even more interesting.</p>
<p>“S-s-sure!” Zhengting placed the key on the desk and felt a small bit of excitement boil up inside him. “This is your key and the room number is attached. There’s an internal phone line and the number for the front desk should be in your room. If you need anything else, feel free to call it. Someone… might be here.”</p>
<p>Wenjun hiked his backpack over his back once more and nodded. Taking the key off the desk, he sniffed the air a few times, looking around. “One last question: is dinner served here too?”</p>
<p>The sound of Yixing and Yifan’s laughter floated into the air and Zhengting found himself suddenly no longer in the mood to eat. Well, eat whatever the couple was making at least. “Not usually, but I can see if the chef is willing to part with a few things for you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’d appreciate that! Thank you,” Wenjun smiled once again, nodding before heading up the stairs to access his room. He turned around before beginning to ascend, looking as if he forgot something. Zhengting tilted his head to one side, wondering if his explanation was enough. “Wait, I’m sorry. Last question for real this time, I promise.”</p>
<p>“Go on.”</p>
<p>“What’s your name?”</p>
<p>Zhengting blinked. It had been a while since someone asked him that. In fact, besides the owner and his partner, there isn’t really many people who call him by his name. Some folks in town when he goes on errands, sure, but most of his customers don’t bother with those kinds of formalities. He felt something in himself warm at the thought, but tried to not make it obvious.</p>
<p>“Ah, Zhengting. You can call me Zhengting.”</p>
<p>“Mn. Then thank you, Zhengting.” Wenjun dipped his head in thanks before heading up the stairs to his room on the second level. Zhengting watched Wenjun until he disappeared into his room before sliding down the desk and trying to hide his very red face.</p>
<p>“Something good happen?” Yifan was standing over the side of the desk and looking down at Zhengting, the expression on his face giving away the fact he was most certainly going to tease Zhengting about it later.</p>
<p>“No…” Awkwardly, Zhengting stood up and tried to ignore the look on Yifan’s face. “A customer came in and that’s about it. He was hoping to get some dinner if that isn’t too much.”</p>
<p>“Just a customer?” Zhengting didn’t bother to respond and instead busied himself with cleaning up some papers on the desk. Yifan stood there for a moment longer before sighing and turning back towards the kitchen. “It should be ready in ten minutes. We should have enough for someone to join us.”</p>
<p>Zhengting waited until the footsteps faded before going to the phone and picking up. His finger hesitated for a moment before pressing the right numbers to the room he’d assign to Wenjun. There was silence for a moment, followed by a few rings, and eventually the other end picked up.</p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p>Zhengting let out a small sigh at Wenjun’s voice. He wasn’t sure why he was getting so worked up over everything. “If you’d like to join us, dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”</p>
<p>There was the sound of something on the other line before the response went through again. “Thank you. I’ll be down shortly.” After that, the line went dead and Zhengting was left with a dial tone. He placed the phone back down on the receiver before heading into the dining room to set it for dinner.</p>
<p>“What’re we having?” Zhengting began to pull plates and glasses down from the cupboard, humming to himself as he brought them out and set the table for four instead of the usual three.</p>
<p>“Food,” Yifan responded as he tried something liquid out of a pot that was set over heat. Yixing chuckled softly to himself and Zhengting only snorted in annoyance. He placed down the usual silverware before plopping down on an unoccupied seat, his face squished against the table.</p>
<p>“It’s been a while since we’ve had a customer as young as him,” Zhengting said absently as he stared out the window at the other end of the room. “I’m kind of surprised someone like him said yes. He looks like the handsome visual type, you know? The kind of guy who totally would have a girlfriend.”</p>
<p>“You know, on occasion, I wonder what exactly goes through your head,” Yifan started, taking a sip from whatever soup he was making. “But I never need to ask because I feel like you always just end up blurting it out anyway.”</p>
<p>Zhengting turned his head and blew a weak raspberry at the couple who was finishing up the food. They easily moved around one another, Yifan occasionally leaning down to kiss Yixing, or sometimes the two of them just pressed against one another without saying anything. Zhengting watched the whole thing longingly, his heart aching at the whole scene.</p>
<p>“<em>Zhengting</em>?” For a moment, <em>his</em> voice seemed to echo throughout Zhengting’s head, causing him to shoot straight up. Instead, Wenjun was at his side, looking slightly shocked.</p>
<p>“Zhengting?” It took a second for the brunette to realize it wasn’t <em>him</em> who said his name, but instead the guest. Zhengting’s heart rate gradually went down as he realized his mind was only making things up.</p>
<p>“Sorry, you just… Sounded like someone I knew for a moment.” Standing up, Zhengting motioned towards the bowl and plate that were set at the seat next to where he was woefully lamenting alone. “You can take your bowl and plate over to the kitchen. Yifan will serve you whatever he made.”</p>
<p>“Are you eating anything?” Wenjun picked up his bowl and plate and glanced over his shoulder as he walked towards where Yifan was waiting with one hand on his hip. He too seemed to be looking at Zhengting expectantly.</p>
<p>“I will in a moment.” Once again, Zhengting’s well-practiced smile graced his lips. It seemed to be enough for Wenjun, a stranger, but Yifan merely snorted before serving their guest. Yixing had already settled down at the table and fixed Zhengting with a firm glare, but didn’t say anything.</p>
<p>Wenjun got his food and sat down at the seat next to where Zhengting had plopped down and murmured a quick thanks before starting to eat his food in silence. Yifan soon followed with his own plate, but Zhengting had yet to get up. He found himself lacking the energy as thoughts that he felt like he hadn’t had in a while filled his head.</p>
<p>
  <em>In a memory, a blurry faced man stood to Zhengting’s side. They were in a small cabin that had a fire going on one side and a single bed pressed against a wall. It wasn’t much, but it was theirs. A small bowl of suspicious looking stew was shoved in front of his face, the spoon inside of it clinking against the side. They had been there for only a few days, after moving away for their hometown and on their own.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What’s this supposed to be?” Zhengting had taken the bowl and gave it a dismissive sniff.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s dinner, that’s what it’s supposed to be,” the other’s person voice was playful as he took a seat down next to Zhengting. He also took a sniff before bringing to bowl away from his face. “I’ll do better next time.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Zhengting laughed and bumped his shoulder against the one next to him. “Yeah, you said that two nights ago…”</em>
</p>
<p>Lost in thought, Zhengting didn’t even realize that Yifan had filed a bowl and slammed it down in front of his face until a bit of the hot liquid spilled onto his cheek. The brunette yelped as he jolted back in pain and held one hand against his cheek and glared at the man over him.</p>
<p>“Eat.”</p>
<p>“I said I was going to!”</p>
<p>“Yeah and people lie. Now eat,” Yifan insisted before heading back to his seat by Yixing. The owner simply continued to eat his own food and ignore the pleading look that Zhengting gave him. Next to him, Wenjun just continued to look between the two before awkwardly going back to his own food.</p>
<p>With a small grunt, Zhengting obnoxiously shoveled the food into his mouth, ignoring the burning sensation that went with it. He made sure to fix a hard glare at Yifan with every spoonful, who continued to ignore him. By the time they finished, Yixing had begun to clean the dishes, Wenjun quickly excused himself, and Zhengting was left with a burnt mouth and a half-full bowl of soup he couldn’t bring himself to finish. He sighed and dramatically pushed himself out from the table and out of his chair.</p>
<p>“Did you finish?” Yixing didn’t even look up from the pile of dishes as Zhengting brought down a tupperware container to put the remaining soup in. “I’ll take that as a no, then.”</p>
<p>“It’s tomorrow’s lunch.” Zhengting pointed out as he placed it into the fridge without a second thought. “I’m going to get ready.”</p>
<p>“Be safe,” was all that Zhengting heard as he went past the front desk and up the stairs. The hotel wasn’t very large and didn’t have as much as you would find at someplace at the bottom of the mountain, but it was enough. The bottom two floors held most of the hotel rooms along with the lobby, kitchen, dining room, and small conference room. The third floor was off-limits to guests and held the residences of the owner and his partner, as well as Zhengting’s own room. Not that he had a real room. Instead, it was a small area that had been haphazardly turned into a bedroom.</p>
<p>In one corner was a chest that was filled with random items that Zhengting hadn’t touched in ages. On top of it was a few pictures in frames as well as a small dish containing jewelry he had no current use for. His bed was right against the chest, nestled into the other corner. It was filled with various layers of blankets and a particularly beaten looking pillow at the head of it. Several stuffed animals were laying on the pillow, appearing to be tucked in on the bed. A window was on the opposite end of the room with a piece of colorful glass hanging in the middle of it. Finally, his other wall had a rack that had various clothing pieces hanging off of it. That’s what Zhengting headed towards, slowly taking off his current turtleneck sweater and black pants for something more attractive.</p>
<p>He ended up going with an oversized sweater and a pair of woolen shorts. He knew his legs were going to be chilly, but he was told that people like this outfit, so he didn’t know what else to wear. He stopped while slipping the shorts on under his sweater, the sounds of Yifan and Yixing walking down the hall stopping him.</p>
<p>“... He could easily do better elsewhere. I still don’t know why he insists on staying here.” It was Yixing’s voice first, hushed and hardly audible. There was a frustrated grunt that probably came from Yifan, their footsteps coming to a stop outside their door.</p>
<p>“You know, after a year I would have thought that he would have healed but… It’s not something we can force. For now, just be thankful he lets you have a day off, okay?” There was the sound of shuffling and voices had become inaudible as the sound of a door shut was heard.</p>
<p>Zhengting awkwardly stood in the middle of his room, the edge of his sweater wound tightly in his hand. It was obviously a conversation that he shouldn’t have heard and was continued behind closed doors. He knew the couple was probably just worried for him, but it still hurt. He glanced at one of the photos on the chest, his heart thudding painfully. “What would you do…?” The brunette murmured to himself before slipping out of the room as quietly as he could and heading downstairs.</p>
<p>Zhengting stood outside of Wenjun’s room, one hand held up to knock on the door, but he hesitated. If he could choose what he could do tonight, he would have chosen to crawl back into bed and spend another night pretending the world around him didn’t exist, but that wasn’t an option. He had a job to do and was determined to go through with it. So, he took the leap and knocked on the door.</p>
<p>There was a moment before the sound of feed padding across the floor was heard and the door’s lock unclicked to reveal a very tired looking Wenjun. It had been roughly half an hour since dinner and he already looked like he had traveled from hell and back. He glanced Zhengting up and down for a moment, confusion clearly written across his face.</p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p>Zhengting felt his voice catch in his throat for a moment, but the idea that he still had a job to do bounced around his head. “I-I’m here for the night service you requested when you checked in this morning.”</p>
<p>Wenjun blinked slowly, processing Zhengting’s statement, before a small <em>oh</em> left his lips. “So this is what you meant…” Zhengting could practically feel the guest’s eyes scan him, his brain slowly starting to panic. Why did he ever bother asking? He shouldn’t have done this. “Well, come in then.”</p>
<p>“What?” Zhengting stared at Wenjun’s back as he walked back into the room. The taller turned around and lifted one brow.</p>
<p>“What? Come in, it’s chilly out there. You’re gonna catch a cold dressed like that.” Wenjun walked inside and headed towards where the heater was located in front of the bed. It was the kind that wasn’t a real fire, but let out the same amount of fire as one. It had taken Yifan ages to move them all up to from the base of the mountain, but it had been worth it.</p>
<p>Closing the door behind him, Zhengting locked it and moved into the center of the room. He was so used to being thrown onto the bed or pushed against a wall that the sudden change of pace didn’t do well for him. Wenjun didn’t even seem to notice and simply sat down on his bed and patted the spot next to him. Zhengting awkwardly shuffled his way over and sat down, his hands landing in his lap as he absently chewed on his lip.</p>
<p>“You know, you don’t have to be nervous or anything. I’m not gonna jump you,” Wenjun smiled playfully at Zhengting, who didn’t untense very much.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry! I should have explained everything more at the desk! If you want, I can refund everything and I’ll leave.” Zhengting turned and bowed slightly towards Wenjun, shutting his eyes to block the probably disgusted look on Wenjun’s face. A hand on his shoulder caused Zhengting to look, the handsome face in front of him holding no signs of anger.</p>
<p>“It’s fine. I probably should have picked up on the hints you were dropping. My friends usually say I’m pretty oblivious when it comes to things like that.” Wenjun looked back at his bed and smiled. “Maybe we could just sleep? Like, nothing dirty or something like that. Just, you know, normal sleeping?”</p>
<p>Zhengting watched Wenjun for a moment before breaking out into laughter. Wenjun had a light blush across his cheeks and glanced away as Zhengting playfully jumped back onto the bed. “Well, you have a pretty big bed! It’d be a waste if we didn’t use it for a good night’s sleep!”</p>
<p>Wenjun rolled his eyes and slid off the bed to lift up the covers and settle himself under them. “Are you against using blankets too?” Wenjun wiggled his eyebrows as he made theatrics of wiggling himself under the covers and getting comfy.</p>
<p>It was hard to hold back his laughter as Zhengting wiggled his own way under the blankets and poking out from under them and slowly inching his way closer and closer to Wenjun until only his eyes were peeking out from the covers. Wenjun followed suit and sunk down under the covers so his eyes were level with Zhengting’s own. They engaged in a silent staring contest until Zhengting couldn’t hold it any more and blinked with a groan.</p>
<p>These small games continued throughout the night. Not once did Wenjun try to touch Zhengting outside of some playful tickling. At some point, they eventually ended up on Zhengting being snuggled into Wenjun’s side and Wenjun scrolling through some form of social media at an agonizingly slow pace due to the WiFi.</p>
<p>“So what brought you here?” Zhengting whispered. He was afraid of speaking too loudly in case he ruined the moment. Wenjun had stopped to let the page load, staring absently at his phone held above them.</p>
<p>“Well, I was supposed to stay with some friends at the bottom of the mountain, but they pissed me off, so I took a bus and hiking trail up here to get away from them.” Wenjun seemed to be honest and he flicked through some memes that had loaded and laughed.</p>
<p>“How’d they get you mad?” Zhengting asked, glancing up at the guest. Even lit up by the glow of his phone, Wenjun was really handsome.</p>
<p>“Curious, aren’t you?” The taller asked teasingly, causing Zhengting to pout. With a small huff, the shorter shoved his face into Wenjun’s chest and let out a small huff.</p>
<p>“It’s not every day someone like you comes here. It’s a rare occasion.”</p>
<p>“Then what are you doing here?” Wenjun clicked his phone off and placed it to the side. One arm was now wrapped around Zhengting’s shoulders in a comforting manner as they settled into a position that was better for talking rather than scrolling through memes. “You have to be around my age, so you obviously bring my rarity down.”</p>
<p>Zhengting let out a snort. He opened his mouth to respond, only to close it again and let out a slow sigh. “I’m here… I’m here because it’s the last place I can go.”</p>
<p>Wenjun furrowed his brows in confusion. He brought his free arm to brush away some of the hair from Zhengting’s face and didn’t miss the flinch as he brought his hand close. “Don’t you have family or something? Are they worried about you?”</p>
<p>“No… Not any more.” Zhengting’s tone made it clear he didn’t want to push the topic any further. Thankfully, Wenjun took the hint and instead just held him close.</p>
<p>“Good night,” was murmured in Zhengting’s ear before they both attempted to sleep. It was difficult for Zhengting as thoughts continued to flood his mind, but somewhere along the night, memories turned into nightmares that haunted him until morning.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The sun that shone through the curtains of the room was bright, reflecting off the snow outside. Zhengting twitched as the light forced him to crack his eyes open with a grumble. He felt a weight thrown over his chest and twitched as he felt someone’s breath tickle the nape of his neck. Usually, this would be nothing new, but it was. Instead of wanting to slink out of bed before anyone else had the chance to wake up, Zhengting found himself comforted by the arm thrown around him. The warmth pressed against his back was reassuring and solid and was a fairly positive experience. He didn’t want to leave it.</p>
<p>“<em>I love you, Zhengting</em>.” As the arm tightened around the brunette, <em>his</em> words whispered around Zhengting’s head and his heartbeat began to quicken. The comfort quickly turned into a suffocating pressure that squashed Zhengting’s chest and made it hard to breathe. This wasn’t right.</p>
<p>So, like every other customer, Zhengting found himself delicately unraveling himself from Wenjun’s grasp and heading out towards the door. He sent one last longing look back towards the guest, who was peacefully laying in bed with the sun dappled across his back before reaching for the door knob in preparation to leave.</p>
<p>“Going so soon?” Zhengting stopped as Wenjun’s voice echoed around the room. It didn’t sound angry or accusatory, but instead sleepy and a bit… disappointed?</p>
<p>“I have chores I need to do…” Zhengting said softly as his knuckles turned white around the door knob. The more he stayed there, the more he felt the need to leave. Once there was a grunt from Wenjun and the sound of a face plopping back down into a pillow did Zhengting rush out of the room.</p>
<p>Downstairs, the sound of Yixing making breakfast and Yifan leaving for the day was normal, but it felt like everything was off. Instead of heading to the front desk like usual, Zhengting scrambled up the staircase to go into his small bedroom and slam the door behind him. His heart was still pounding as thoughts that had once been locked away seemed to invade his brain.</p>
<p><em>His</em> smile.</p>
<p><em>His</em> laughter.</p>
<p><em>His</em> embrace.</p>
<p>It had all hit Zhengting hard and he couldn’t deal with it. A year later and he couldn’t fucking deal with it. He cursed at himself as he slid down the door to his room, eyes filling with tears. The pictures on the chest seemed to mock him of happier days, something that Wenjun’s presence reminded him of and he hated it.</p>
<p>Zhengting sat there and wept for a bit. He couldn’t hold the tears back as they freely fell from his eyes. He lost track of how much time he spent in that position, curled up with his knees against his chest and back to the door. It was almost impossible to move further inside the room in case the tear-blurred photos on the chest became clear. The brunette was eventually brought out of his stupor from a knock on the door that made him jump.</p>
<p>“Zhengting? Is everything okay?” Yixing’s muffled voice could be heard from the other side of the door. At first, Zhengting was tempted to not respond, but he begrudgingly ended up forcing himself to stand up and open the door with a red and puffy face.</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>It was obvious the owner wasn’t ready for Zhengting’s reveal and the surprise was evident on his face. The brunette sniffled and wiped his face with his sweater. There was an awkward silence, neither one knowing what to say, before Yixing dipped his head and pointed towards the stairs. “Are you going to eat breakfast?”</p>
<p>“Don’t wanna…” Zhengting muttered, averting his gaze. The grunt of disapproval was exactly what he expected next. “That guest… I don’t like him.”</p>
<p>“Was he rough with you?”</p>
<p>“No…”</p>
<p>“Did he force you?”</p>
<p>“No…”</p>
<p>“Then why do you dislike him?” Yixing crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the frame of the door with one eyebrow cocked up. Zhengting felt like a child again, trying to explain why he didn’t like the taste of green peppers or something similar.</p>
<p>“He… He reminds of everything.” Zhengting eventually said. He slumped down slightly, his sweater slipping over one shoulder as he did so. “Everything I tried so hard to forget… He just brings it back.”</p>
<p>“Have you tried to embrace the feeling?” Yixing suggested softly. He rested one hand on Zhengting’s shoulder and tilted his head to one side. Zhengting sniffled with a pout and looked away.</p>
<p>“He’s a guest. There’s no future with a guest,” Zhengting pointed out with a sigh. Standing back up straight, he tried to focus himself as he went over and obnoxiously went through his clothes to pick out an outfit for the day. “I’m sorry… I’ll get to work soon, don’t worry.”</p>
<p>Yixing watched Zhengting pad back and forth across his room for a moment before sighing. There wasn’t much to be done, so instead he headed back down the hallway with a wave of his hand. “Come by the front desk when you’re ready. I have some errands that you need to run.”</p>
<p>Easy as that, Zhengting was on his own again. He had an outfit chosen and absently thrown on his bed. He stared at it as if it could magically end up on his body instead of exerting effort to put it on himself. He wasn’t in the mood to get dressed or do anything for that matter, but maybe if he took long enough, Wenjun would be gone. That’s it. He’ll just take an extra long time to get dressed.</p>
<p>And take a while he did. It wasn’t for about another forty five minutes that Zhengting even made his way downstairs, clad in another sweater, knit hat, puffy jacket, insulating pants, and boots. He wasn’t good with the cold and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to prepare for himself for a day after the snow.</p>
<p>At first, the coast appeared clear as he waddled from the stairs to the front desk, hiding his face behind the top of the zipper of his jacket. Once he stopped in front of Yixing for the list of items did Zhengting notice Wenjun on the couch with a magazine over his face. Notice was a hard word to use, though, as Zhengting did all in his power to completely ignore the guest.</p>
<p>“I need you to go to the general store for a few things to prepare for the snow that's going to come tonight. Then go to the bookstore to pick up the most recent copy of the newspaper. Once you’re done with that, feel free to spend the extra on something nice for yourself. Think of it as a bonus, okay?” Yixing handed Zhengting a paper with several items listed on it followed by a packet of money. Both were securely placed in his pocket when a presence seemed to loom over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Errands? Would it be okay if I joined?” Wenjun’s soothing voice washed over Zhengting as he gave a somewhat awkward smile. “If I wouldn’t be a bother, that is. I’m probably just going to be staying here a few days, so I’d like to see town a bit.”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you let him join you, Zhengting? You’re usually doing these things alone, a little companionship once in a while won’t kill you,” Yixing’s face broke into the most shit eating grin Zhengting had ever seen. The urge to slap the owner was incredibly high right now, but Zhengting held himself back, even if it was just barely.</p>
<p>“Sure thing! If you can get ready in five minutes, you’re free to join me!” Zhengting said as he turned back towards Wenjun. He meant to make it sound almost threatening, hoping to ward the taller off, but the second that handsome face came into view, Zhengting lost all bite. It was such a warm and genuine smile that he found it impossible to continue to hate the other for reminding him of the past.</p>
<p>“I’ll be out once I get my coat and boots,” Wenjun promised as he turned to head back towards his room. Zhengting watched him go before settling down on the couch he originally was situated on. The magazine that was now on the coffee table, something that was probably a good few months old at this point, was about all the hiking trails around here during the spring and summer time, when things looked far greener and prettier in most people’s opinions. Zhengting paled as he saw it, his brain stopping for a moment.</p>
<p>
  <em>“No! You can’t go out, you’ll get lost!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Listen, if I’m not back in half an hour, call someone to look for us, okay? I know they’re angry, but going out there in this kind of weather is suicidal.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah, that just means you’re suicidal for going after them too!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Have a little trust in me, okay? I promise I won’t leave you alone… Zhengting…”</em>
</p>
<p>“Zhengting? Are you okay?” Just like before, instead of seeing the person from his memories, Zhengting saw Wenjun’s worried face in front of him. The guest had donned on a hefty looking coat, boots, and some gloves, but that didn’t register at first. Instead, a pair of very intense chocolatey brown eyes that seemed to take in all of Zhengting at once were fixed on him.</p>
<p>“Wh-what?” Zhengting’s voice came out as airy and soft and the sudden pain in his lungs became apparent.</p>
<p>“You were just breathing really hard.” Wenjun glanced down to the magazine that had somehow become crumpled under Zhengting’s grip. “Is everything okay? The same thing happened this morning too…”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I have everything under control,” Zhengting forced a smile as he stood up, finding himself getting light headed for a moment before he was able to take a few steps towards the door. “Ready to go?”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded in agreement and silently followed Zhengting out the door. Once outside, the shorter of the two shivered and blew into his hands as the cold air seemed to go through every layer of his clothing at once. “It’s cold!”</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t you already expect this?” Wenjun asked as he followed a step behind Zhengting. The shorter grumbled as they headed further into town, the small village soon filling their whole view. It was nestled against the side of a lake with mountains situated all around them. All the buildings were bricklaid and decorated for winter with lights strung up between them. A few people walked between the buildings just as bundled as Zhengting, but seeming less affected by the cold.</p>
<p>“All because I should expect it doesn’t mean I like it,” Zhengting pointed out as he crossed the road and headed down a side street. It was amusing to watch an outsider marvel at their little town, eyes wide and curious. Zhengting had been here for over a year and knew basically everything about the area, but it wasn’t that big to start with. The small intricacies of the town now longer instilled wonder upon him as it did for guests.</p>
<p>Wenjun didn’t say much else but continued to follow Zhengting down the street. Another turn later and they were back onto another main-road looking area. This one was a bit more busy, with the signs of shops swinging in the breeze. This road led directly down to the lake with a large plaza in front of it. The plaza had a large pine tree set up with decorations and an ice skating rink in front of it. Zhengting noticed Wenjun eyeing it curiously and nudged him with a smile.</p>
<p>“Wanna go check it out?” Wenjun glanced down at Zhengting and the shorter felt that familiar thudding in his chest at the sight of the handsome face scrunched up in thought.</p>
<p>“Don’t you have to run errands?”</p>
<p>Zhengting let out a dramatic sigh and took his hands out of his coat pockets and grabbed onto Wenjun’s arm. “Errands, schmrrands, Yixing can wait for his stuff! I promise this will be fun!” With one hand slipping down to hold onto Wenjun’s gloved one, Zhengting began to sprint down the sidewalk and towards the plaza. The taller had no course of action other than to follow.</p>
<p>Once they arrived at the plaza, it was obvious the town was built for early winter tourism. The rink was decorated in reds and golds with children and parents alike skating around it. The street lamps were adorned with wreaths that were a bit past their prime and the garlands strung between the lamps were slightly worn. But, it was hard to say the sight wasn’t something out of a postcard.</p>
<p>Behind the rink was a towering tree that had a small basket next to it. There was a light placed on top and generic looking ornaments around it, but it was towards the bottom where things got interesting. There were all kinds of decorations, some were elegant and tasteful while others were loud and playful. On one side, a father had his son on his shoulders, who placed a rather sweet looking decoration on one of the branches.</p>
<p>“Both guests and locals decorate the bottom half of the tree. The town will put ornaments in the basket at the bottom and people can put them up throughout the day,” Zhengting explained, pointing out the basket as he huddled closer to Wenjun. “They take the decorations down at the end of the season and anyone can take them. The ones that aren’t taken by the public are used for the next year.”</p>
<p>Wenjun nodded his head and opened his mouth to speak before the child that was on the man’s shoulder called out to them. Zhengting perked up and said something back before running over to the pair, the boy squealing and running away with the father laughing and Zhengting following behind the child. Wenjun chuckled at the scene, which eventually ended in Zhengting tripping over something in the snow and falling flat on his face.</p>
<p>Before he could go over to help, a soft hand placed itself on Wenjun’s arm. Looking down, a beautiful woman stood at his side, looking tenderly on at the same scene that Wenjun was. He nodded and turned towards the woman. “Is there something I can help you with?”</p>
<p>“You’re… with him, aren’t you?” She pointed one finger towards where Zhengting was now sitting in the snow and laughing, the boy playfully kicking snow on him. Wenjun nodded and tilted his head a bit in confusion. The woman smiled and looked up towards him. Her face was similar to Zhengting’s, if not with a bit less sharpness to it. “Please, make him happy, won’t you? I think it’s about time for him.”</p>
<p>Wenjun glanced back towards Zhengting, who had stood up and now looked towards Wenjun. He rose his arm in a large ark, beckoning the taller over. “What do you-?” Looking back to his side, the woman was no longer there. A breeze had swept over the plaza, rustling Wenjun’s hair and causing a small shiver to go through him. Looking around, there appeared to be no one else around him.</p>
<p>“Wenjun?” Zhengting had trotted back over and looked around, tilting his head in confusion. “Is something up?”</p>
<p>“There was someone here… Just a moment ago,” Wenjun whispered, to which Zhengting only furrowed his brows slightly.</p>
<p>“What are you talking about? You’ve been the only one here?” They stood there in silence for a moment before Zhengting shrugged and began to walk away from the plaza. “If you stand like that any longer, I’m pretty sure you’re going to freeze on the spot. Let’s head to the general store.”</p>
<p>Zhengting seemed more enthusiastic now, pointing out various shops and other things to Wenjun. The other people in the village seemed to give them weird looks though, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Wenjun. Once they reached the general store again, Zhengting had gone back to his more quiet and reserved state.</p>
<p>“Good morning…” Zhengting softly said as they walked inside. It was filled with wall to wall of weird items, some of them seeming out of place, such as an expensive looking broach tacked onto the side of a wall, or even just peculiar in general, with a strange cuckoo clock in one corner taking Wenjun’s attention in particular.</p>
<p>Zhengting gave Yixing’s list over to the man behind the counter and waited for a moment, swaying back and forth on his feet. Wenjun had begun to wander the store, not poking at anything, but instead, leaning down to around things to get a better look at them. Zhengting watched the other move slowly and deliberately around the store, as if he was trying to gain an inventory of everything without touching a single item. Once he was satisfied, Wenjun had come back over to Zhengting’s side and stood there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.</p>
<p>“Isn’t that cuckoo clock weird?” He whispered, leaning down and pointing to it with one gloved finger. Zhengting stared at it for a moment and glanced back at Wenjun.</p>
<p>“It’s a cuckoo clock, isn’t it supposed to be weird in it’s own right?” Zhengting said with a playful grin, which Wenjun laughed softly and nodded. There was sound from the back where the shopkeeper had reappeared from and both the boys suddenly stood up straight and proper, trying to hide any evidence of making fun of the items in the store.</p>
<p>A shovel and some salt were placed on the front desk with a grunt, the shopkeeper muttering some number and Zhengting handing him the money. Wenjun took the bag of salt for Zhengting, slinging it over one shoulder as the shorter gathered his change and took the shovel. The shopkeeper glanced between them before crossing his arms and jerking one chin towards Wenjun.</p>
<p>“You hire a helper now?” Zhengting picked up the shovel and tilted his head before looking up at Wenjun and blushing.</p>
<p>“N-No! He’s just a guest who’s helping out for a few days,” Zhengting tried to explain, but the grin on the shopkeeper’s face told him that he thought otherwise. Instead of fighting it, Zhengting took Wenjun’s arm and dragged him out of the store, shaking his head. Behind him, Wenjun’s laughter was heard over the bell of the door chiming as it swung shut behind the two of them.</p>
<p>“Those oldies have nothing better to do than gossip,” Zhengting muttered, shaking his head. Wenjun didn’t seem all too bothered by it, still walking by the other’s side and looking around the small town. “Stay any longer and next thing you know, Yifan will be making you work for him.”</p>
<p>“What exactly does Yifan do?” Wenjun asked as he shifted to carrying the bag of salt with two arms.</p>
<p>“He’s a kind of delivery person? Like, he’ll make a few trips down the mountain a month and bring stuff from the base up to here. He also fixes some of the older houses and organizes people to shovel the streets.”</p>
<p>“So, like a jack of all trades?” Wenjun suggested as the two stopped in front of another store. This one had a glass front that was decorated with holiday themed displays, but behind the scenes was a vast quantity of books. Zhengting opened the door as he continued to speak.</p>
<p>“That sounds about right. He’s also probably the youngest person on the town council, so he helps with a lot of the tourist stuff too. I bet he’s the only one who knows how to properly work a computer,” Zhengting had begun to browse the shelves of the bookstore as if he had never been there before. The jovial greeting from the worker seemed to prove this otherwise.</p>
<p>“Zhengting! How’re you doing?” The voice came from a young man, his face lit up in a smile as he approached them. “Oh? You have a friend with you?”</p>
<p>“A guest, actually,” Zhengting didn’t hesitate in his correction, a forced smile plastered on his face. “Xinchun, this is Wenjun. He’s just about our only guest for the next few days, so you’ll probably be seeing him around town. Wenjun, this is Xinchun. He’s, uh, interesting…”</p>
<p>Dramatically, Xinchun leaned back and wore an expression that seemed to be on the edge of tears. “I can’t believe you’d say something so cruel to your closest friend!”</p>
<p>“He performs one-man dramas for the kids. I think it infected his daily life,” Zhengting whispered not-so-subtly, which only offered for Xinchun to pass through another entire set of emotions that made Wenjun question his decision on joining Zhengting on his errands.</p>
<p>“I see…” Was all Wenjun found himself able to say, still a bit winded by the whole performance.</p>
<p>“Anyway, Xinchun, has the paper come in yet?” Zhengting was led to the front of the shop where the worker pulled out a case of newspapers, all tied together with some string that had a nice bow at top. He snipped the string off and as Zhengting went to take one, the brunette found his hand slapped away.</p>
<p>“Ah, ah, ah! Payment first,” Xinchun said with a waggle of his finger. Zhengting felt like saying something, telling Xinchun off for being so extra in front of a guest, but held himself back. Instead, he let out a steady stream of air from his nose and fished around in one pocket for the correct change.</p>
<p>“You really think I’m at the level of petty theft?” Zhengting asked as he snatched one paper off the top.</p>
<p>“No, I just wanted to see you annoyed,” Xinchun said honestly, resting his elbows on the table and smiling. “Bye bye~!”</p>
<p>Zhengting stared at Xinchun for a moment before turning on one heel and walking out the door without another word. Once back outside, he stood in front of the door for the moment, Wenjun hovering worriedly at his side.</p>
<p>“Zhengting…?”</p>
<p>“That asshole!” Zhengting said at the same time he broke out in laughter. “He may be a lot, but he has a good heart. One of the few up here that makes living possible.”</p>
<p>Wenjun smiled at the sound of Zhengting’s laughter and followed him back down the street. They went back the same way they had come down, Zhengting continuing to point out some things about the path they had taken before. When the hotel had come into sight again, a soft snow had begun to fall down around them. Zhengting had suggested they pick up the pace, realizing the items they picked up were probably for the upcoming snowfall.</p>
<p>As they neared the hotel, Zhengting began to slow his pace. There were several sets of footprints outside the hotel. A million thoughts began to run through Zhengting’s head at once, causing him to freeze on the spot. His whole body seemed to fill up with a chill that did not want to leave.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Wenjun’s hand was on Zhengting’s shoulder and the taller took a deep breath. “It’s probably nothing. Let’s head inside and see what it is before we jump to conclusions, okay?”</p>
<p>Zhengting nodded absently as he followed in behind Wenjun. Looking around, a group of men were clustered around the front desk, Yixing’s voice going through the normal processes of checking them was heard over the crackles of the fireplace. Zhengting placed the shovel to one side and slid his boots off, all while keeping a watchful eye on the front.</p>
<p>“Ah, Zhengting. If you could finish checking these folks in, that would be great. Wenjun, do you mind helping me out front?” Yixing had stood up from his position behind the front desk with a smile, but looking obviously annoyed. To his side, Zhengting felt Wenjun stiffen, but gently placed a hand on his arm.</p>
<p>“Sure thing. I’ll be over in a moment,” Zhengting took his jacket off and hung it up on the rack next to the door, but not without Wenjun leaning in close and whispering to him.</p>
<p>“Something about those guys feels off. Scream if they try to do anything,” Wenjun urged before Zhengting walked away like he hadn’t heard a thing, his customer service smile plastered onto his face.</p>
<p>“Thank you Zhengting. If anything happens, Wenjun and I will be right outside.” The end part of Yixing’s speech seemed intentionally hard as he made his way towards the front entrance. Zhengting nodded in acknowledgement before sliding into the chair and smiling at the group of men.</p>
<p>There were about four of them, all looking cold and angry. They were dressed in a decent amount of layers and several bags worth of hiking gear were littered around their feet. “How may I help you?”</p>
<p>“We heard that there’ll be a fuckboy here. Cough him up,” the man in front stated bluntly, surprising even Zhengting. If guests come here with that in mind, they’re usually a bit more tactful than that.</p>
<p>“O-Oh? I’m sorry sir, but may I ask where you heard that from?” Zhengting looked at the computer screen to realize that there was a room pulled up, but no information had been taken yet, leaving Zhengting to input it all. Fuck.</p>
<p>“We had a friend stay here a while ago. Said there was a nice little twink here who offered some nighttime ‘heat’.” Zhengting tried his best to keep his customer service smile on as he drummed his fingers across the desk. There was something odd about this man’s words, but he chose not to dwell on it.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry to inform you, but while something like that may have occurred in the past, we currently are not offering those kinds of services.” That seemed to annoy the guests, one of them going as far as to curse and walk away. The main one slammed one fist down on the desk and glared at Zhengting with unbridled hate.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why the fuck else you would think that anyone would come up here in this season, so you better cough up whoever it is and we’ll take our leave.” The man began to look Zhengting up and down, but the brunette did his best to remain level headed.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why you’re so affixed on finding this one person, but if even if he were still here, I doubt I’d give him to someone like you. Now, you either pay for your room here or find somewhere else in town to stay the night. I cannot guarantee you finding anything else.” Zhengting glanced out the front window to see the sun had already begun to descent behind the clouds, the town in the distance hardly visible. Instead, Wenjun’s face popped up in one window and made eye contact with Zhengting, causing the taller to break out into a smile.</p>
<p>“Fine. Give us two rooms with two beds.” The man said, grumbling as he fished his wallet out from his pocket. Zhengting hummed in agreement, continuing to glance towards the window where Wenjun was as the computer slowly processed the registration.</p>
<p>Outside, Wenjun had breathed on the window, causing a small cloud of condensation to form on the glass. He carefully took one glove off and drew a small smiley face, eliciting a small chuckle from Zhengting.</p>
<p>“Ah? Something funny?” The man practically growled. Zhengting jumped, blinking rapidly and forcing the fake smile once more.</p>
<p>“Apologies! I thought I saw something outside. May I have a credit card and license to put the rooms under?” Zhengting took the cards and continued to glance outside. Wenjun had gone back to slowly shoveling right outside the window, glancing in occasionally.</p>
<p>As the cards processed, the three other men had gathered in a circle and began to talk among themselves. It was too low for Zhengting to make out, but the looks they kept throwing his way made his skin crawl. With a gulp, Zhengting had finally finished the processing phase and handed the cards back.</p>
<p>“Alright, breakfast is held between 6 and 8 in the morning and dinner is not served to guests unless reserved in advance. There are several local restaurants in town to get dinner from as well as a general store that will have basic snacks. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.” Zhengting turned around to get the keys and handed them to the front man with a smile. As they were taken from his hand, the man’s hand had overlapped with Zhengting’s own and sent a shiver down his spine.</p>
<p>The man grunted and the other three followed him up the stairs towards their room. Zhengting went back to the computer to look busy, glancing out the window a few times to see that Wenjun had sadly moved away from the window and to another part of the front porch. With a sigh, Zhengting had scrolled through the new reservation, frowning slightly at the name of the man. It had looked familiar, but it currently wasn’t ringing any bells. The more the brunette tried to wrap his mind around it, the more lost he felt.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why you had me help. I don’t even work here!” Wenjun’s voice broke Zhengting away from his thoughts as the taller man followed Yixing back into the building, shovel slung over his shoulder. The owner had merely snorted and placed his own shovel against the wall.</p>
<p>“Because I’m giving you a discount for tonight for your help. Take it or leave it,” Yixing said before hanging his coat up next to Zhengting’s on the rack.</p>
<p>“I’ll take it, I swear! I just don’t want to do that again.” Wenjun’s sentence ended with a very annoyed huff, but he seemed to light up once he saw Zhengting alone at the desk. “Deck is all cleared!”</p>
<p>Zhengting chuckled and hummed as he leaned over the desk. “Deck the halls with boughs of holly~.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you mean deck the deck with boughs of holly?” Wenjun suggested as he shivered and went over to the desk and plopped his gloves down on it. “The halls here are a bit too short to do that, I think.”</p>
<p>“Is that a short joke?” Zhengting asked with a raise of his eyebrow, but Wenjun offered no answer. With a chuckle, the brunette was shooed out from behind the desk as Yixing had taken back over the computer, scrolling through it to look over the reservation.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry about that, Zhengting. I just wasn’t sure how you’d like to handle those customers. We’ve never had someone specifically come here for… that.” Yixing leaned back in the chair with a huff and ran a hand through his hair. “Did you take them up?”</p>
<p>“Of course not!” Zhengting said a bit too loudly before lowering his voice so only Yixing and Wenjun could hear him. “Besides, I think I know where they’re from and I don’t want to deal with it.”</p>
<p>Yixing hummed in understanding, but Wenjun looked completely lost. It was easy to tell that Zhengting wasn’t in much of a mood to explain things, so the taller didn’t push it. Instead, he tried to change the topic by running his hands up and down his arms in a pathetic attempt to warm himself up.</p>
<p>“By chance are there any warm drinks given out to volunteers? I was told there would be warm drinks,” Wenjun said and accentuated his point with a sniffle.</p>
<p>“I didn’t promise anything of that sort,” Yixing replied without even batting an eye in his direction and instead turning back to the computer.</p>
<p>“But you should have.”</p>
<p>“Should I also take away the discount for tonight?” This managed to get Wenjun to shut up. His lips were pursed shut as Yixing smiled. “Perfect.”</p>
<p>With a roll of his eyes, Zhengting tugged on Wenjun’s arm and began to drag the taller towards the kitchen. “C’mon, hot chocolate is one of the few things I know how to make.”</p>
<p>“Why do I feel like that sentence is more threatening than you let on?” Wenjun said as he followed behind Zhengting. The brunette didn’t answer, but instead instructed Wenjun to sit at the table while he went to the small kitchenette and began to pull out various ingredients from the fridge and cabinet.</p>
<p>“Trust me, there’s a reason that they don’t let me help with dinner.” Zhengting said as the burner flicked to life and a saucepan was placed over it. He filled it partially with milk before stirring it occasionally. “But even Yifan says my hot chocolate is good! And he basically says half my life decisions are wrong.”</p>
<p>Wenjun snorted in laughter, causing Zhengting to beam as he added in cocoa powder and sugar. “What kind of life decisions?”</p>
<p>Zhengting froze for a moment before shrugging and focusing a bit too hard on stirring the new ingredients in. “Like… Moving up here. Staying here year round. Things like that.”</p>
<p>There was a moment of silence as Wenjun took in the new information. At first, Zhengting expected him to laugh or ridicule him, as others have done in the past. It was stupid to stay in a dead end town like this, he knew that, but to Zhengting, it felt even stupider to leave.</p>
<p>“I mean, you must have a reason behind it. Otherwise you wouldn’t feel so strongly about it.” Zhengting paused in his stirring to let Wenjun’s words sink in. He wasn’t judging Zhengting for staying up here, but instead was… reasoning with it? The sentiment in itself almost made Zhengting cry.</p>
<p>“Yeah… Yeah, there is.” Zhengting’s voice had gone soft and left the conversation at that. He poured in some chocolate chips as the milk began to simmer and allowed them to melt into the mixture. Bringing the heat down, Zhengting reached up to grab some mugs before placing them next to the stovetop and throwing a dash of vanilla into the liquid and calling it done.</p>
<p>Carefully, Zhengting took the hot chocolate and poured it as evenly as he could between the two mugs. He could hear Wenjun get up from behind him and peer over one shoulder, but he wasn’t done just yet. Putting the cocoa and sugar back into the cabinet, Zhengting pulled out some mini marshmallows, but not before darting over to the fridge and picking up some whipped cream.</p>
<p>“You can’t just ignore the toppings! They’re basically the best part,” Zhengting said as he took the whipped cream and made a small tower of if over his hot chocolate and sprinkled the mini marshmallows on top. “Tadaaa! Now you do it!”</p>
<p>Zhengting handed the whipped cream canister to Wenjun who eyed it for a moment and glanced back towards Zhengting. Without a second more of hesitation, Wenjun aimed the nozzle towards Zhengting and pressed down on it, spraying the sweet substance all over the shorter.</p>
<p>“Wha- Wenjun how could you waste something as precious as whipped cream!?” Zhengting could hardly hold back his scream as he dramatically wiped some off of his face. The guest had lost himself in his own laughter, nearly bringing him to tears.</p>
<p>“I mean, we don’t have to waste it,” Wenjun reasoned. That didn’t make Zhengting’s frown any better, so instead, he demonstrated what it meant by going in and licking off a rather large portion from Zhengting’s face with a pleased smile. “See?”</p>
<p>“... You still wasted it,” Zhengting grumbled before turning around and taking a nearby towel to wipe the rest of it off himself. In reality, Zhengting just wanted to hide the growing blush that was covering his face and threatening to reach the tip of his ears. In the corner of his vision, he could see Wenjun shrug and spray whatever was left inside his mug before taking it and walking back towards the table to take a seat. Only once Zhengting was sure most of the whipped cream was off of him did he follow suit.</p>
<p>“I think I used it perfectly well,” Wenjun said with a shrug as he sipped on his own hot chocolate. “And I agree. This is pretty damn good.”</p>
<p>Zhengting took a sip of his chocolate and melted in the sweet warmth for a moment before bothering to answer. “I know it is. It always is.”</p>
<p>Wenjun snorted before taking another sip and glancing out one of the windows into the snowy woods outside. “You know, I can see why you’d want to stay here. It’s gorgeous.”</p>
<p>Zhengting placed his mug back down on the table and looked into it without acknowledging Wenjun’s comment. The whipped cream had partially melted into the liquid so that only awkward looking clumps were on top of it, surrounded by marshmallows that took on a light brown tinge. He wanted so desperately to scream about how much he hated that damn snow outside and how much he hated those stupid woods, but he couldn’t bring himself to it. What would he gain for it? Some stranger’s pity for the next two days before being left on his own once more?</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Was all Zhengting managed to say before a lump formed in his throat that made it far too difficult to talk about anything else. Instead, he stood up and drank a few more sips of his hot chocolate before placing it on the counter next to the sink in the kitchen and leaving a confused Wenjun behind for his room upstairs.</p>
<p>As he tried to make it not obvious he was running away from Wenjun, Yixing had said something to him, but Zhengting chose to ignore it. His brain had too much in it, way too much, and he didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. He dashed up the stairs, mumbling some kind of apology to whoever he bumped into before racing up the final steps and back into his room. This time, he made it as far as the bed before the tears began to fall, hopelessly soaking into the pillow below him.</p>
<p>Outside, the last rays of sunlight were disappearing, leaving Zhengting in his dark room. There were some candles to one side he could have lit, but didn’t bother too. Being with Wenjun had brought out far too many painful memories that Zhengting did not want to deal with.</p>
<p>“Kun… If you were here… What would you do?” Zhengting whispered to himself before pushing up off the bed and moving over to where the chest was. There, he picked up one photo and stared at it longingly from that half-light that was visible from outside. It was a summertime photograph Zhengting with his arms wrapped around someone else. The person in question had a reserved smile on his face, but it was clear that they both looked pleased to be in each other’s presence.</p>
<p>Zhengting was brought out of his thoughts from a sudden pounding on the door, causing him to jump. He quickly hid the photo under his covers and walked towards the door, hesitating to open it.</p>
<p>“Hello? Wh-who is it?” Zhengting walked closer to his door, but when he didn’t get an immediate response, stopped. “Hello?”</p>
<p>“This is payback, you slut,” Zhengting froze as the voice of the man from earlier crashed through the door, quite literally. Him, followed by one other man, came into Zhengting’s room and grabbed him by the arms.</p>
<p>Immediately, Zhengting began to writhe and try to fight back with all he had in him, but the sudden set of jabs to the gut made everything impossible in just one moment. He didn’t lose consciousness by any means, but the will to fight was taken out of him in one painful breath. He was then slung over someone’s shoulder as if they were carrying out a bag of salt.</p>
<p>Through his haze, Zhengting could vaguely make out his surroundings. He felt himself being carried down several sets of stairs, the sounds of people talking being muted in his head. Glancing around, Zhengting found that he could move himself around enough to make out Yixing on the floor with a concerned Wenjun kneeling down next to him. Someone shouted something and the body carrying Zhengting began to move quicker and didn’t bother to slow down when Zhengting raised his head to shout something, only to hit it against the frame of the door as he was carried through it, all thoughts rendering null.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The next time Zhengting awoke, a piercing cold surrounded his body. It was too dark to make out any landmarks, but it was clear enough to figure out that he was somewhere outside. There were voices that eventually went from muddled sounds to something clearer. He was able to tell that all the guests that he checked in earlier in the day were there now, following behind the one who carried Zhengting along.</p>
<p>“What if this is the wrong guy? You never saw the face of boss’ lover,'' one man pointed out, to which the one carrying Zhengting snorted.</p>
<p>“You saw the way he reacted earlier. This slut is the one who killed the boss. Now it’s his turn to pay.” The first man said. The others simply made some sort of sound of agreement before turning conversation into complaining about the cold.</p>
<p>Zhengting twitched to full awakeness now, groaning at the dull thud that pulsated around his head. The arm around his waist tightened before he was weightless and the snow very suddenly covered his whole body. The chill was immediate as it went under his shirt and all over his face. That, alongside the pounding in his head, seemed to make everything far worse.</p>
<p>“Glad to see you didn’t die too early,” the first man said, which got laughter elicited from the other men. Zhengting just looked on confusedly, glancing between the four of them.</p>
<p>“What’s happening? What did I do to deserve this?” Zhengting asked softly, stumbling as he tried to stand up. He was easily pushed down by one of the other men, back bumping against the tree behind him.</p>
<p>“It’s time to pay for what you’ve done. You took our boss away from us and you think we wouldn’t find you out here? Think again you slut,” a second man snarled before spitting on Zhengting. The brunette flinched away and felt it land on the side of his cheek.</p>
<p>“Is it bad I don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about?” Zhengting asked as he tried his best to rub the spit off his face. In an instant, one man was on him, pinning Zhengting against the ground and one fist raised in anger and ready to strike.</p>
<p>“You don’t know what you did, you disgusting killer!? You took away from us the best leader we ever got! Now we’re here to give payback for what you did!” The man brought his fist down and struck Zhengting’s face several times before he was satisfied.</p>
<p>Seeing stars was something Zhengting thought was just a saying, but the flashes of snow in his vision, which otherwise was swimming with darkness, really did look like stars. He whimpered softly, still not understanding what was being said.</p>
<p>“What, are you still too dumb to figure it out?” The first man kicked some snow at Zhengting, causing the brunette to flinch away. “Cai Xukun. Does that name ring any bells?”</p>
<p>Zhengting froze for a moment, eyes going wide. “What does Kunkun have to do with this…?”</p>
<p>“Don’t say his name so familiarly!” A boot made contact with Zhengting’s already throbbing cheek, sending into the snow once more with blood running out from his nose. It stained the snow beneath him red, but it was hard to see in the darkness.</p>
<p>“Cai Xukun was the only thing that our group had going for it. And because of you he’s gone. We were gone and taken over by some stupid stuck-up assholes. At least I’ll be able to sleep better knowing you’re dead.” The main thug grunted before giving Zhengting one last good kick and muttering for the other’s to follow him out of the woods. They each had their own last little victory against Zhengting, beating him in some way, before leaving the snowy woods.</p>
<p>Their voices faded out before long, leaving Zhengting alone in the snow. His entire body was throbbing in pain as he pushed himself off the ground and tried to stand. Using the tree next to him for support, the brunette managed to push himself onto his feet and glance around. It was far too dark to make out any specific landmarks. However, the snow that was falling from the sky was light and fluffy, not covering up any of the recent footprints that were just made by the group. He snorted at the clumsiness of it all before pushing himself to take a few steps. They didn’t last long, Zhengting tumbling into the cold snow that seemed to pull at his limbs and keep him down.</p>
<p>“Is this how you felt…?” Zhengting said to himself softly before his pain began to ebb away into numbness. His sweater was damp from the snow and his own body heat and now hung heavy on his body. He tried once more to push himself up, stumble those last few steps towards the entrance, but every part of his body was screaming that he was too cold and tired to do so.</p>
<p>So, instead of forcing it, Zhengting listened to his body. He laid back down in the snow and curled up around himself. He felt shivers wrack his body and teeth chattering in his head, but he couldn’t find the will to try to keep himself warm. Maybe it will all be worth it in the end. Perhaps he’ll be able to see Xukun when this is all over.</p>
<p>With a shuddering breath, Zhengting closed his eyes and let out a soft breath, feeling the warm puff of air billow out in front of him before being pulled into a deep sleep.</p>
<p>
  <em>It was the summer of two years ago in Zhengting’s head. It was a particularly hot summer in the campus coffee shop. The air conditioning was shoddy at best and they all took turns going into the back freezer to cool down. His turn had ended five minutes earlier and Jeffrey was in there now. Somehow, he still felt cold despite the sweat that was dripping down his shirt.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Then, as if on cue, he came in. Just like clockwork, the handsome blond who always got a drink that was too sweet for someone of his looks. Zhengting straightened up and tried to hide an overly obvious grin that came on his face whenever this customer walked in.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Welcome! The usual?” Zhengting asked with a tilt of his head. The customer flicked his sunglasses up onto his forehead, revealing the handsome face under them.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Do I really come here that frequently?” the man asked with a small chuckle. Zhengting felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he laughed with him. “And sure. You always make it just the way I like it, after all.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Zhengting punched in the order he learned by heart on the register and tried to ignore the sound of his heart pounding in his head. As the customer paid, he began to get the drink ready, moving from one machine to the other to get all the parts mixed together properly. The customer didn’t leave the front counter and instead watched Zhengting make the drink with vague curiosity.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Is it just you here?” The customer asked with a tilt of his head. Zhengting glanced over his shoulder as he began to add the final touches.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Nope. My coworker is in the back cooling off. This summer has been hell,” Zhengting slid the drink across the counter with a smile. “Hopefully, this helps cool you off some.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The customer had written something down on his receipt and tucked it into Zhengting’s apron pocket before winking. “I’m sure this will hit the spot perfectly. Thanks.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Zhengting waved farewell and the bell that was over the door rang as he walked out. It was at this moment when Jeffrey had reemerged and was fanning himself with one hand. Zhengting waited a few more seconds before pulling the paper out of his apron and glance at what was written over it: a phone number, a name and the words “call me” hastily scribbled on the bottom.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Was that from the regular?” Jeffrey asked, looking over Zhengting’s shoulder at the paper. When the shorter only nodded and a grin grew across his face did he really process what happened. It was like a dream come true.</em>
</p>
<p>Zhengting’s vision fluttered for a moment as he opened his eyes. A soft layer of snow covered him like a blanket, some of it falling off as he shook his head. The snow had stopped falling from the sky, but that didn’t make anything much better. He was too cold to feel most of his body and his vision was hazy at best. The urge to sleep was calling him more now, causing Zhengting to succumb to it easily enough.</p>
<p>
  <em>They had been dating for a year at this point. Zhengting knew that Xukun was his perfect soulmate. They made up for what the other one lacked and everything was going smoothly. Currently, they were in a car with Zhengting’s parents heading up to a lodge to spend the weekend at. They also thought Xukun was just a good friend of Zhengting’s, but that was going to change soon enough. Zhengting was going to come out to them.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His brain seemed to shuffle through the next set of events in a blur. Xukun was the only thing in focus, but his face didn’t look right. Instead of the usual smile that he wore when they were together, he looked concerned and like he wanted to say something, but it wasn’t possible. Zhengting didn’t get it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Soon enough, the moment of truth had come. They were seated in the lobby of the lodge, all drinking something warm to stave off the chill of the day. Outside, the snow had begun to pick up and fall relentlessly into the night. Xukun’s hand was in Zhengting as he confessed their true relationship. It didn’t take long for things to go downhill from there. His father threw his coffee at the two of them as his mother desperately tried to get him to calm down. In the end, his father screamed that he disowned Zhengting before storming outside, his mother following after him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Xukun was there the moment Zhengting broke out into tears. He tried to help dry the coffee off the both of them and give Zhengting a million little kisses and whispers of comfort, but that wasn’t enough to stop the tears. Brushing Zhengting’s hair behind his ear, Xukun cupped his lover’s face in one hand and gently kissed the trembling lips.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You know that no matter what, I love you, right?” Xukun whispered softly, pressing his forehead against Zhengting’s. The brunette tried to stifle a sob and nodded. “So you stay right here. I’m going to go out and bring them back, okay?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“<span>No! You can’t go out!</span> Zhengting clung desperately onto Xukun’s shirt, his voice catching in his throat. “You’ll get lost!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“<span>Listen, if I’m not back in half an hour, call someone to look for us, okay? I know they’re angry, but going out there in this kind of weather is suicidal</span>,” Xukun promised before planting another kiss on Zhengting’s lips. This one was longer and far more tender, as if he knew it was going to be their last. “I’ll bring them back. You just need to promise me one thing.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Zhengting hiccuped once before nodding and trying to furiously wipe his tears away. "<span>Yeah, this just means you’re suicidal for going after them too!"</span></em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There was a sudden shift in Xukun's emotions now. He looked around the lobby before focusing back on Zhengting. Something about this didn't feel right, but it was hard for the brunette to place just what was wrong. “Promise me you’ll wake up. Zhengting, you have to wake up right now. Someone is out there looking for you. Someone real. Someone alive.” Xukun’s voice turned rushed and intense as he grabbed Zhengting by the shoulders. “Please, you need to wake up. I love you, but it’s not your time to join me. Wake up, please, please, please…”</em>
</p>
<p>“Please!” The sound of someone else’s voice came crashing over Zhengting. He was vaguely conscious of the arms around him that were holding him close. “Please, please wake up! Zhengting!”</p>
<p>Slowly, the brunette’s eyes flickered open. Above him was Wenjun’s face, ugly and tear stained. He was cradling Zhengting in his arms after covering him with a coat. Slowly, Zhengting raised one hand and cupped Wenjun’s jaw. The taller immediately stopped and looked down at Zhengting.</p>
<p>“What is someone who’s as big as you crying like that for?” Zhengting asked with a cough. Wenjun’s mouth gaped open as he took Zhengting’s hand in his and held onto it tightly.</p>
<p>“I thought… I thought I lost you,” Wenjun admitted as he adjusted Zhengting so the shorter was pressed against Wenjun as much as possible. “You weren’t moving in the snow and were so cold… I didn’t think I got to you in time.”</p>
<p>Zhengting snuggled in closer to Wenjun, relishing in the heat given off by the other. For a moment, it was just them in the darkness before a light washed over them. Across the sky danced a brilliant array of light. They were washed in greens and blues that danced over them in a beautiful stream.</p>
<p>“Wow…” Zhengting breathed as he struggled to sit up in Wenjun’s lap, only to be wordlessly supported by the other. “It’s gorgeous.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Wenjun agreed. He glanced at Zhengting once more before making a fuss. He hurriedly began to dress Zhengting in a coat and gloves, wrapped a scarf around his neck, placed a hat over his head and pulled out a fresh pair of socks to replace the wet ones with. Zhengting didn’t complain one bit during the whole ordeal and let Wenjun do as he pleased, coughing occasionally. “Now, let’s use this light to find our way back.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t long before Zhengting was heaved onto Wenjun’s back and they began their journey through the snow with the sky lights giving them what they needed to see. Zhengting wrapped his legs around Wenjun’s waste and nuzzled into the crook of the taller’s neck. His warmth was enough to make Zhengting sleepy once more, his eyelids becoming heavy and threatening to fall.</p>
<p>“Hey, you can’t sleep yet.” Wenjun said as he adjusted his grip on Zhengting. The shorter merely hummed in understanding, but didn’t seem to listen. “I’m not kidding.”</p>
<p>“But Wenjun, I’m tired!” Zhengting wined as he held himself up on Wenjun’s shoulders for a moment before his arms failed him. “Just for a minute?”</p>
<p>“Nope. You have to stay awake until Yifan can get a good look at you,” Wenjun said as he continued to trudge through the snow. “How about you talk to me? To stay awake.”</p>
<p>Zhengting hummed and hugged himself closer to Wenjun. “About what?”</p>
<p>“I dunno, anything…”</p>
<p>Zhengting looked up at the lights above them and sighed, his dream from earlier coming back in hazy bits. “Earlier… You asked why I was here, right? Do you wanna know?”</p>
<p>“If you want to tell me.”</p>
<p>Zhengting grinned as he leaned in closer to Wenjun’s ear. “Even if it means I killed people?”</p>
<p>However, Wenjun didn’t even seem to bat an eye. “Sure.”</p>
<p>A pout crossed the shorter’s lips as he didn’t get the reaction he wanted. “You’re no fun.”</p>
<p>“Then should I tell you about the times I killed people?” Wenjun asked, which gained Zhengting’s attention.</p>
<p>“No! You?”</p>
<p>Wenjun chuckled. “It was the kind of family I was born into, you know. We originally were just a small gang that didn’t do much more than intimidation. That was until the main line had a son who went mysteriously missing about two years ago.” There was a pause and the wind whipped around them. “The whole group fell into disarray until my father decided it was time to take over. Since then, we’ve been running the show. I always did wonder what happened to the previous leader, though. He was young, but was never killed. He just vanished…”</p>
<p>“Were you close with him?” Zhengting asked with a yawn as he rested his chin on the top of Wenjun’s head.</p>
<p>“No really. I saw him a few times, but my dad was pretty adamant about staying on his good side. And to be honest, I don’t think I was the only one who wondered where he left.” Other voices were audible in the distance as they got closer to town and the hotel. “Maybe you know of him? His name was Cai Xukun.”</p>
<p>Zhengting let out a small gasp as his grip around Wenjun tightened. “I-I… Wenjun he told me he didn’t have anyone! I didn’t mean to, I promise!” Zhengting couldn’t help the tears that fell from his eyes. His body began to shake again, but this time in fear. The words from the men earlier bounced around Zhengting’s head and all he could imagine was the men from earlier shouting about the loss of their Xukun.</p>
<p>“Zhengting? Zhengting, it’s fine!” Suddenly, Zhengting wanted to throw himself off Wenjun and struggle back into the forest to die in peace. It was better than whatever revenge Wenjun would bring upon Zhengting himself. Zhengting had fallen too hard too quickly and he couldn’t bear the thought of another person he loved being disappointed in him.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Zhengting cried over and over. He didn’t even realize the point where he had been taken off of Wenjun’s back and placed into a chair before passing out.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Sunlight streaming through the windows was what awoke Zhengting. Ignoring his body that screamed in protest of move, the brunette slowly opened one eye, followed by the other. He was back in his room, the same as when he left it for the most part. There were extra blankets on his bed that made it have this cozy weight on top of him. Besides the blankets was the one other thing that was out of place: Wenjun was curled up with his back against the bed and a thin blanket around his shoulders.</p>
<p>Zhengting went to reach forward for the other only to realize he couldn’t move his hand. It was trapped within Wenjun’s hand, their fingers tangled together tightly. Slowly, Zhengting squeezed his hand to get Wenjun’s attention, chuckling as he watched the other slowly wake up.</p>
<p>“Good morning,” Zhengting whispered, voice hoarse. He didn’t even realize how dry and scratchy his throat was until he spoke. On the floor, Wenjun shifted himself so he was facing Zhengting with a content smile on his face.</p>
<p>“Good morning sleeping beauty,” he said as he stared at Zhengting. They didn’t say much else, but Wenjun also didn’t move to untangle their hands. Instead, he stroked the back of Zhengting’s hand as his smile faded into a frown. “You know, they thought you might not wake up.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Zhengting didn’t let go of Wenjun’s hand either and relished in the contact. “I was going to wake up, you know.”</p>
<p>A snort. “How are you so confident about that? It’s been two days.”</p>
<p>“Because…” Zhengting hesitated, his grip loosening on Wenjun’s hand. “Because Xukun told me to.”</p>
<p>Wenjun froze for a second, processing Zhengting’s words, before he continued. “You know, I didn’t mean to make you upset.” His soft whisper broke Zhengting’s heart, the amount of regret and pain in it weighed heavily on each word. “Xukun… He told me before he left. That he found someone so important to him that he was willing to give them the world. I came here because I was curious what kind of person that would be.”</p>
<p>Wenjun stopped and locked eyes with Zhengting. It was an intense stare, something Zhengting had perhaps seen in his lover from long ago, but this one had so much more raw emotion. It took a while for either of them to break it off, Zhengting eventually turning away once he felt the heat of a blush rise to his cheeks.</p>
<p>“I now understand every bit of what he told me,” Wenjun finished softly. He squeezed Zhengting’s hand in his and sighed.</p>
<p>Zhengting didn’t know what the proper response was. Forgetting and loving anyone other than Xukun was hard. He had connected his body with so many other people’s that he truly thought his heart was numb from feeling love for anyone else. Yet there Wenjun was, tall, handsome, and warm. He was creeping his way past the snow that had built up around Zhengting’s heart and melting every bit of it. It was hard to deny the idea of being with Wenjun gave Zhengting butterflies in his stomach, but the lingering pain of Xukun was still there.</p>
<p>“Well, I’ll go let Yifan and Yixing know that you’re awake. They’ve been worrying their brains out about you. I’m sure you’ll be fine in their care.” Wenjun gently tugged his hand away from Zhengting’s and stood up.</p>
<p>“You’re leaving?” Zhengting couldn’t stop his voice from cracking as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Wenjun worriedly pushed the shorter back down into the bed and tucked the covers into him.</p>
<p>“I found my answer… And you found yours too, didn’t you? You still love him, so I don’t want to force anything.” Wenjun smiled, the same kind of fake smile that Zhengting was all too familiar with, and turned to go downstairs.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>He wasn’t going to lose anyone again.</p>
<p>Ever.</p>
<p>Forcing the pile of blankets off himself, Zhengting pushed himself out of bed and leaned forward to grab Wenjun’s hand. The only issue was that he completely missed it and instead leaned forward and latched onto his shirt instead, bringing them both down onto the floor. Zhengting felt his body protest, pain blossoming all throughout him, but at the same time, he couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of him. There they were, just a mess of limbs on the ground.</p>
<p>On top of him, Wenjun just looked completely bewildered by the sudden crash, his eyes opened owlishly wide in confusion. “Y-yes?”</p>
<p>“It isn’t true!” Zhengting wiggled out from under Wenjun and properly sat back on his knees. He took a deep breath (which was more painful than he imagined) and met Wenjun’s gaze as evenly as he could. “It’s true that I still love Xukun… That’s something about me that can never change, but you accept me as the person who still holds Xukun dear. And all because I do that doesn’t mean that I can’t hold anyone else close to me!”</p>
<p>Zhengting so desperately wished at that moment he had a camera on him. Wenjun’s expression was beyond words and so perfect that it was impossible to hold back. He leaned forward and trapped Wenjun’s lip in a kiss that was quickly returned with just as much longing and passion.</p>
<p>“Do you… Is that true?” Wenjun pulled away and held Zhengting’s face between his hands. “I’m not the one hallucinating, right?”</p>
<p>Zhengting laughed, a real laugh, that echoed throughout the room and was impossible to hide the smile from his lips. “Yes, I guarantee you this is real. If you’ll have me, that is.”</p>
<p>Wenjun brushed a strand of hair away from Zhengting’s face, taking in the view before him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Their lips once again locked against one another’s, a mess of love and passion.</p>
<p>“Wenjun? Is everything alright in there? I heard a crash and-” At that moment, Yixing opened the door to the two on the floor, blankets everywhere, and their faces flushed from the kiss they quickly had broken away from. They all stared at one another for a moment before Yixing slowly closed the door behind himself with a shake of his head. “It looks like everything is going fine in there, I’ll leave you two to it.”</p>
<p>With warm hands and warm hearts, Zhengting and Wenjun laughed off the sudden interruption and went back to enjoying each other in their cozy little room in the hotel on the top of the mountain.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was a fun little fic that I meant to post on my birthday that I'm only *checks watch* five days late for! To be honest, I winged most of it so it probably isn't too coherent, but I hope everyone enjoys it anyway. Happy Holidays all and I hope awards season treats us well~</p></blockquote></div></div>
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